What are the biggest things you remember from attending a wedding? I know you’re in planning mode and thinking about all the moving parts. But time and again, when I ask couples what they’re most excited for is everyone coming together. Now more than ever, couples are focusing on the guest experience. And I don’t know about you, but food is definitely one of the ways to my heart.

Sea Salt & Cinnamon

I asked one of my favorite bakers, Amanda who owns Sea Salt & Cinnamon with her husband Kyle to give her advice on planning your dessert menu. Now, why is she one of my favorites? Sea Salt & Cinnamon is not only local to Muncie, but they specialize in vegan food! They provide awesome sweet and savory foods for weddings all over the state of Indiana. Not only that, they have tons of gluten free options! This makes it so much easier to work around dietary restrictions. Your guests won’t just feel full, but they’ll appreciate that you considered their needs too.

Hey Amanda, who are you and what do you do?

“We own Sea Salt & Cinnamon, a vegan food company based in Muncie! We provide yummy food & sweet treats for weddings all over the state. Our goal is to invite community through food while providing compassion for all.“

I have to say, this is totally true. Not only does Sea Salt & Cinnamon provide food for weddings, they also provide food for countless other events and communities. My son’s first purchase was their monster cookie cupcake at the Minnetrista farmer’s market and no he didn’t want to share!

How early should couples reach out to their baker?

“We always say, the earlier the better! Because we don’t have a storefront, we offer tasting days that are sometimes 4-6 weeks away from when couples first email us. We do a 2-month payment plan as well, so I would suggest 4-6 months before the wedding at least. 

If you’re getting married in a busy month or on a popular weekend (10/10/20 this year), it should be even further out as we will book up. We typically only take 4 weddings in a weekend.”

How do you know how much to order for a wedding?

“Our general rule of thumb is 1 piece per guest, but this can change based on what you are ordering. 

Dessert Bars

For dessert bars, we expect most people to take 2 items. The more variety you have, the more likely people are to take more than 1 thing. 

Cupcakes & Cake

If couples are doing cupcakes and a cake, we suggest 3-4 flavors, depending on how many guests they are expecting. We try to make sure they have a nice variety of classic chocolate/vanilla, something fruity & some fun options as well. 

Extras

Finally, we always ask couples if they would prefer to have some leftovers or if they are ok with running out. This helps us determine if we should do 1-2 dozen extra or make sure their cake is just a little larger.” 

What’s a common mistake or misconception with ordering for a wedding?

“A lot of people assume we stay and cut/serve the cake. This is not true. Because the caterer will be there the whole time, they are traditionally the ones that cut the cake. 

There is usually a fee for this!! We always make sure couples are communicating with their caterers about this. The worst thing we can do as a vendor is drop off a cake to a caterer who is not prepared to cut and serve it. We communicate with them by leaving instructions on how to cut the cake, how many servings to expect & what construction items may be inside the cake. 

Recently, we have offered cake cutting ourselves for an extra fee. This is sometimes an option!” 

Ah! I love that she touched on this point. I’ve been at weddings where the couple had no idea who would serve the cake. It’s frustrating and can be messy if you don’t know what you’re doing. Definitely have someone who commonly cuts wedding cakes ready to serve it. Otherwise, you could end up doing this yourself or worse, a top tier of cake could fall over. (And yes, I’ve unfortunately seen this happen.)

What’s the most underrated dessert choice?

“Chocolate Brownies! They don’t make a big statement on a table & aren’t as pretty to look at, but we can do some fun things with frosting and sprinkles to jazz them up a bit. They’re super yummy & who doesn’t love a brownie?!”

Correct answer: No one.

What trends are you most excited for? 

“I just signed up for a virtual class with Sweet Heather Anne, a bakery in Ann Arbor Michigan. Their work is INCREDIBLE! From day one, I have dreamed of making cakes like they do, and soon, I’ll be able to! 

I will be learning all about edible sequins, painting with buttercream and more. I can’t wait to put these techniques into our cakes!”

Yes!! Sweet Heather Anne is so talented and I can’t wait to see what Amanda does after this workshop. Her painted designs on desserts are already awesome. This will just level her up her sweets game even more!

Want to find more info on Sea Salt & Cinnamon for your own wedding? Check out their awesome vegan food options here:

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